Raising Capital: A Marketing Tactic You Need To Try

It’s called the “QUICKSTEP.”

We all send emails, we all send decks, and we all leave endless voicemails. The reason why these tactics aren’t that effective is because they are predictable. Institutions / investors have built up their defenses to thwart our efforts.

You have to think around the problem. How do you get someone to acknowledge your approach, and respond?

In short, you need to get them on their heels, take them out of their comfort zone (before everyone gets all up in my grill, yes – it needs to be credible), and then slide in a non-threatening request to connect.

In marketing circles this tactic is called the quickstep. Here is how it works.

1.) Send the investor something physical.

Twenty-five years ago, this wouldn’t have worked, however, it is a lost art. It will work today because no one expects it. For example, and because someone just sent me one with my name burnt into it – mega cool, let’s mail someone a baseball bat. (It can’t be a letter, it has to be something that will sit on a desk and be different.)

2.) Accompany the “bat” with a letter that directs someone to look at something.

For example a letter could accompany the bat that has nothing on it other than your firm’s URL, nothing more, nothing less. No deck, no “are you interested?”, no request for a call, nothing. (Non-threatening right? And it doesn’t have to point to your website – think outside the box. Just don’t ask for money.)

3.) The quickstep.

Immediately after the investor receives the physical “thing” you make a second approach from an entirely different angle. Imagine sending an email with the subject line, “We just sent you the bat.” And if you could time this email to arrive the moment the bat arrives in someone’s office – hard, but not impossible – you deserve a “Marketing Rock Star Award.” If within that email you request 15 minutes of the investor’s time, you might actually get it.

Replace the bat with anything, replace the email with anything, you get the point.

This is an example of real marketing. The fact that investors receive “marketing decks” by the minute it is critical to start thinking outside the box.

If what you send demonstrates very sophisticated and smart thinking and the quickstep is well timed and classy, you will start talking to a lot more investors.